07/01/2008
Father Figures
Australian gay male couples are coughing up $80,000 to become fathers by "renting wombs" in the United States because it is illegal in their home country for two men to pay a surrogate. Four hundred American women are participating as egg donors—the prospective fathers choose them from profiles and their eggs are then implanted in surrogates.
The clinic’s medical director, Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, says over 125 couples have already conceived.
"They are almost all professional, working men who obviously have a bit of money and desperately want a child."
Posted 12:52 PM EST by Matthew Rettenmund in Australia, Gay Parents | Permalink
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Carry your own baby. They can attach a fertilized egg to the guy's small intestine. Some babies develop outside the uterus, anyway. Then deliver it by Caesarean. I don't think men can deal with pregnancy--they aint got the guts (pun intended).
Then again, breast feeding would be difficult...never mind, back to the surrogates.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jul 1, 2008 1:03:57 PM
D, honey I don't think that's quite true. None of the studied fetuses were capable of making it through full gestation, and it was only performed in lab monkeys, unless we've been lied to through the pen of self-righteous moral arbiters. I'd do it in a heartbeat though, were it possible.
But GODDAMMIT, now the price of my surrogacy went up. Thanks Australia, you fuckheads! Now I'm going to have to go Romanian or some shit.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jul 1, 2008 1:13:33 PM
Oh, thanks for the correction, FIZZIE. Better to be corrected by you than that ABRACADAVER person.
Well, then they could get the lab monkeys to carry their babies. Probably a lot less expensive.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jul 1, 2008 1:20:50 PM
I'm always so sad when I hear about people spending tens of thousands of dollars on surrogacy and IVF when there are hundreds of thousands of kids who are up for adoption or in need of foster care.
Adoption can be slow, expensive and uncertain, but it's cheaper than surrogacy (which can often end in miscarriage and legal problems).
The biggest problem for me is a moral one; how can we pay people to have more children when there are so many languishing in group homes in need of love?
Posted by: AdoptedQueen | Jul 1, 2008 1:22:44 PM
Why don't those Australians hire a wombat or platypus to be their surrogate? We need our American women to bear more fat, obnoxious fucks who eat burgers in malls.
Posted by: Yeek | Jul 1, 2008 1:46:41 PM
I take offense when I see people disregards the psychological well being of Children. How do you think a man born out of another man would feel?(in the times we live in) probably like a freak of nature, no? I don't know, I'm not here to judge, but children should have our utmost respect and sensibility.
The use of surrogates, a female friend or adoption, is an intimate decision left to the parties involved.
Posted by: Rafael | Jul 1, 2008 2:03:35 PM
AdoptedQueen, why don't more straight couples adopt?
I hope you have the same moral question for them.
While I might agree with you, science is only really now allowing gay couples to "conceive" biological children, as well. I think it's thrilling same-sex couples are not being "forced" to adopt in order to raise kids.
It's a personal preference to each individual, and we have to respect each parent's desires.
Posted by: yes | Jul 1, 2008 2:04:00 PM
I can tell you this, Adopted; I have seen many beautiful children in this world that need homes and if I were Angelina Jolie, I would be happy to adopt them all, but JUST the same as Angelina, I want my own flesh and blood to carry on also. Call it selfish, but just because I'm gay doesn't mean I need to be the cleanup crew for a world of careless people.
And surrogacy doesn't end in miscarriage any more often than normal pregnancy unless you're working IVF with a woman in a proven infertility case...which, why the hell would you do that anyway? I don't have any moral issues about pregnancy but it is my personal belief that people that require inordinate amounts of chemical/hormonal assistance to conceive are those that should be considering adoption.
And, this is not directed at you, AQ, btw, but it is my personal belief that stupid people should be prohibited from mating. Have all the wild monkey sex you want, just don't give us any more stupid people.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jul 1, 2008 2:09:41 PM
"How do you think a man born out of another man would feel?"
Like he had the permanent smell of Irish Spring Soap.
Child, it depends on how much love and support you give to that child. I've seen super butch Drag King Lesbians who raise both male and female children. The children are fine until they run into prejudice and hatred. So, if a butch Lesbian can do it, so can a man....just have to figure out a way to get him a uterus....breast-feeding we can take of.
The people who cause children psychological problems are often those who worry about what psychological problems children may suffer....like right-wing preachers.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jul 1, 2008 2:17:15 PM
@Derrick from Philly:
I respectfully disagree. Two wrongs don't make a right, I'm sorry.
Posted by: Rafael | Jul 1, 2008 2:21:27 PM
The spouse and I are just now talking about kids (we're boring gays, sorry) so we've been looking into all the options.
But $80,000?? Yeesh! That ain't gonna happen. Surrogacy is so expensive, only the rich homos can afford it.
Posted by: crispy | Jul 1, 2008 3:20:42 PM
$80,000???
This is going to sound judgmental, but when I see figures like that all I can think of is that gay men having biological children is only possible if you have massive amounts of cash.
But then again, the parenting gene was lost on me. I don't get why people have children in the first place. To each his own *shrug*
Posted by: Alex | Jul 1, 2008 3:21:28 PM
The average gay couple going through IVF and surrogacy might spend anywhere between $60K and $125K, depending on whether a surrogate and/or egg donor and/or sperm donor needs to be paid. (Family members may donate genetic material and/or carrier services in some cases.) And there is no guarantee.
Infertile straight couples, meanwhile, often get help with insurance.
It's cruelly expensive to have biological children. But some would argue well worth it if it can be afforded!
By the way, adoptions ain't cheap either. They can go upwards of $30 - 50K.
Posted by: duh | Jul 1, 2008 3:41:25 PM
I've heard from infertile (and otherwise) straight couples that they HAD considered adoption, but it worked out that fertility treatments were cheaper (as DUH points out it's covered by insurance) and faster and the less chance of the "real" mother taking the kid back.
For gay couples, many states won't let them adopt a child at all!
As for cheap surrogacy there was a story recently about renting cheap wombs in the third world. $6-10,000 dollars for the whole enchilada. For anyone who's done adoption or surrogacy in the U.S. that's a steal!
http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/outsourced-wombs/
Posted by: Sir Spam_A_Lot | Jul 1, 2008 10:29:33 PM